Good Hope Country Day freshman Julian Bishop took first place in the Virgin Islands District 2015 Congressional Art Competition April 17 at the Whim Museum in Frederiksted, St. Croix. Bishop, along with 22 students from schools throughout the territory competed in this year’s art competition. Bishop’s winning-art, a portrait of St. Croix native Oceana James, will represent the territory in the national competition and will be showcased in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for one year. “I...
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Immediately following the release of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report highlighting the USVI’s poor management of its environmental programs, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett announced that she is traveling to the territory to meet with Governor Mapp to discuss the report’s findings. “When my office was made aware that several of our government agencies was deemed “high-risk” for federal funding, I immediately brought this matter and the potent...
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Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has allocated $500 million in federal funding for transportation projects under a seventh round of its Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. “I am pleased to announce the availability of this federal funding and encourage the relevant parties in the Virgin Islands to apply. TIGER grants are highly competitive but offer substantial funding ...
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Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, today, applauded the Department of Veterans Affairs’ decision to expand eligibility to a program that will make access to care easier for Veterans living more than 40 miles away from a VA medical facility. The Veteran Choice Program, which currently allows veterans who live more than 40 miles in a straight line from a VA facility or who face significant delays in scheduling an appointment to receive care in their communities at non-VA medical facilities has been am...
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An emphatic address directed to members of Congress by Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett has started a new national conversation on poverty and voting rights in U.S. Territories. Rep. Plaskett’s comments led a segment on voting rights in U.S. Territories on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on Sunday March, 8 2015, and has opened a new national dialogue on Voting Rights in the United States. The congresswoman’s comments come in the wake of the 50th anniversary of the march on S...
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Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett announced that during a meeting today with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers there was agreement to increase staffing and resources in order to review projects currently in development in the Virgin Islands that have permit applications pending with the Corps. During her discussions with Colonel Allen M. Dodd, Commander, Jacksonville District, Rep. Plaskett had expressed concerns that the Corps’ permitting process and subsequent delays were creating uncertainty for ...
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With Congress voting to fund the Department of Homeland Security for one week, Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett is urging House Republicans to consider a long-term clean funding bill to keep the department running through fiscal year 2015. Plaskett said a short term continuing resolution will likely impeded the administration of grant funding critical to the U.S. Virgin Islands. “A short term continuing resolution, will jeopardize the $2.5 billion in grant funding DHS awards to state...
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Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, on Wednesday, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2016 budget. “It is encouraging to see the Administration's commitment to the Nation's Island territories in this budget proposal. Federal investments in the infrastructure, education, energy, and health care of Virgin Islanders are critically important for our territory, now more than ever. I will continue to fight to ensure that our territories are no...
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Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett led a delegation of Virgin Islands energy officials Monday at the first Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington DC. The summit, organized by the U.S. State Department and hosted by Vice President Joe Biden, is a two-day meeting of energy officials from both the U.S. and Canada, as well as several Caribbean heads of state. Congresswoman Plaskett said that she is honored to lead the Virgin Islands delegation and has started talks with the U.S. Energy Secretary ...
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Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett on Thursday was among the small number of freshman lawmakers in congress to be named to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Plaskett, a former Justice Department Attorney and Counsel to the House Ethics Committee said that she appreciated the leaders of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee appointing her to the high-profile committee in order to utilize her background and to assist Congress’ main investigative body. “...
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